VietNamNet Bridge - Ancient nghien trees (Excentrodendron tonkinense) in Ha Giang province, in the middle of old forests and on high cliffs, have been lost due to illegal logging and clearing to make room for hydropower plants and mineral exploitation. 

However, the plan has failed: the province has lost thousands of ancient forests, enterprises have complained about losses and given up mining, and locals are facing serious pollution. 

Illegal loggers fell trees, saw the wood into planks, throw the planks from cliffs into the hydropower reservoir bed, and then drag the wood ashore. Local authorities still cannot find a way to stop them.

Reporters managed to persuade a man to lead them to the nghien forest in Bac Me district. On the way from Ha Giang City to Lac Nong commune, they turned to a track leading to the wharf on the Tuyen Quang hydropower reservoir. Two wood plates, as large as two adults’ arms, were on the ground. 

“This was one of the big timber yards of Bac Me district. Lumberjacks split wood in the forest, roll them over the cliffs down the sides of the hydropower reservoir, then sail along the river and bring them to the highway,” the man said.

Acting as visitors, reporters rented a boat from local people and rowed into the reservoir, toward Thuong Tan commune. On the reservoir side, the trails stretched from the reservoir to the top of the mountain. “These are the trails created by illegal loggers,” a boatman said.

Ancient nghien trees (Excentrodendron tonkinense) in Ha Giang province, in the middle of old forests and on high cliffs, have been lost due to illegal logging and clearing to make room for hydropower plants and mineral exploitation.

The ‘visitors’ saw a large site with nghien planks. The wood had just been split as sawdust was everywhere. There were many round slabs of wood, possibly used as cutting boards. A stump, with a diameter of 1.5 meters, was seen.

“Illegal loggers wrap the root of the tree with old rubber tires, burn the tree until leaves fell, and then cut down the tree, saw the timber into logs and carry it to the highway for sale,” the local guide explained.

In early March, in the forest of Na Nen hamlet, three ancient nghien trees were felled for 21 cubic meters of wood.

The nghien tree that reporters saw was located next to the special-use forest near the Tuyen Quang hydropower reservoir, where people and students go to school on engine boats. A waterway check-point is located not far from there.

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